IMAGING ASSISTED GAS TURBINE ANTI-ICING SYSTEM

• US 20160245178A1
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bhabhrawala, Talib S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,567,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/20 Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/02 De-icing means for engines having icing phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/047 Heating to prevent icing
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/057 Control or regulation conjointly with fuel supply control F02C9/50, with nozzle area control F02K1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A method includes receiving image data from a camera coupled to an air intake system of a gas turbine engine. The image data corresponds to an air passage of the air intake system. The method also includes comparing the received image data to reference image data of the air intake system. The method also includes generating an icing notification based at least in part on the comparison when a difference between the received image data and reference image data is greater than an icing threshold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving image data from a camera coupled to an air intake system of a gas turbine engine, wherein the image data corresponds to an air passage of the air intake system;

comparing the received image data to reference image data of the air intake system; and

generating an icing notification based at least in part on the comparison when a difference between the received image data and reference image data is greater than an icing threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference is greater than the icing threshold when the comparison indicates a threshold amount of ice accumulation on at least a portion of the air passage of the air intake system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the received image data to the reference image data comprises matching reference fiducial markers of the reference image data to received fiducial markers of the received image data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the received image data to the reference image data comprises:

determining a first edge of the air passage of the reference image data;

determining a second edge of the air passage of the received image data; and

comparing the first edge to the second edge.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising controlling an air flow through the air passage based at least in part on the icing notification, wherein controlling the air flow comprises heating the air flow, bleeding a portion of the air flow from the air intake system, shutting down the air intake system, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising controlling the air flow through the air passage automatically based at least in part on the icing notification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas turbine engine comprises a compressor coupled to air intake system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the icing notification is based at least in part on icing data received from an ice detector coupled to the air passage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the icing notification comprises an audible notification, a visual notification, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received image data and the reference image data correspond to a bellmouth of the air intake system.

11. A system comprising:

a controller, comprising;

one or more tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media collectively storing one or more sets of instructions; and

one or more processing devices configured to execute the one or more sets of instructions to;

receive image data from a camera coupled to an air intake system of a gas turbine engine, wherein the image data corresponds to an air passage of the air intake system;

compare the received image data to reference image data of the air intake system; and

generate an icing notification based at least in part on the comparison when a difference between the received image data and reference image data is greater than an icing threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the difference is greater than the icing threshold when the comparison indicates a threshold amount of ice accumulation on at least a portion of the air passage of the air intake system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to execute the one or more sets of instructions to match reference fiducial markers of the reference image data to received fiducial markers of the received image data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to:

determine a first edge of the air passage of the reference image data;

determine a second edge of the air passage of the received image data; and

compare the first edge to the second edge.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to control an air flow through the air passage based at least in part on the icing notification, wherein to control the air flow comprises to heat the air flow, to bleed a portion of the air flow from the air intake system, to shut down the air intake system, or any combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to receive icing data from an ice detector coupled to the air passage and to generate the icing notification based at least in part on the icing data.

17. A system comprising:

a gas turbine engine comprising an air intake system, the air intake system comprising an air passage;

a camera coupled to the air intake system and configured to image the air passage of the air intake system; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the camera and configured to;

receive image data from the camera, wherein the image data corresponds to the air passage;

compare the received image data to reference image data of the air intake system; and

generate an icing notification based at least in part on the comparison when a difference between the received image data and reference image data is greater than an icing threshold.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to match reference fiducial markers of the reference image data to received fiducial markers of the received image data.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to control an air flow through the air passage based at least in part on the icing notification, wherein to control the air flow comprises to heat the air flow, to bleed a portion of the air flow from the air intake system, to shut down the air intake system, or any combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 17, comprising an ice detector coupled to the air passage, and wherein the controller is configured to receive icing data from the ice detector and to generate the icing notification based at least in part on the icing data.